During a recent interview, Shania Twain opened up about her troubled childhood, describing her family home as "very violent" and recounting experiences of physical abuse from her parents.
The 60-year-old country star talked about her upbringing in Ontario, Canada. She explained that domestic violence between her mother Sharon and stepfather Jerry Twain was frequent in their household, and that the children themselves were subjected to physical harm.
When speaking on NPR's 'Wild Card with Rachel Martin' on July 30, Twain elaborated on the conflict between her parents: "They loved each other. They went through so many ups and downs together, but they fought a lot, and they got violent often."
The Grammy Award-winning artist confirmed that she and her siblings were not spared from this violence. "Yeah, with me too," she stated when asked if the violence extended to the children.
Twain went on to describe specific instances of abuse: "If I was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, definitely. I mean, both my parents were pretty harsh physically. We definitely got smacked around a lot, and kicked around sometimes, literally kicked around."
Twain's mother repeatedly attempted to leave her husband, yet the family remained trapped in the cycle of violence.
Despite the violence and trauma in her childhood, Shania Twain went on to change the face of country music, becoming one of the most influential artists in the genre's history. Her songs continue to lift people’s spirits around the world.
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